Dolmen de la Pitchoune

Trip No.205  Entry No.208  Date Added: 29th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Provence:Vaucluse (84))
Visited: Yes on 23rd Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: A few kilometres to the east of Ménerbes, along the D.103, and to the west of Lacost, the home of the chateau of the Marquis de Sade, can be found this dolmen which has its own signpost. It is right beside the road and below ground level, below an arched bridge type structure of the road.

The dolmen is now sort of built into the terraced hillside, but whether it was originally, or just that the local land has risen - perhaps due to the hillside falling down - I do not know. The 4m by 3m chamber has a large backstone and two portal entry stones, but the sides are of vaulted drystone construction. It is tall enough to stand up inside the chamber below the single large capstone, the back of which is now within the hillside. Whether the whole thing was cut into the ground, or originally built above ground level with a cairn of stones I cannot tell. I assume it was above ground, but the level of soil around it has risen. The chamber looks to have remains of an entry passageway, which would open to the southwest, at about 235°, looking across the valley and up into the Luberon Hills.

The dolmen has at times been used as a storage shed, and with the road right besides, and the terraced land behind, I wouldn't be surprised if it has been much altered. I assume the bridge bit of the road has been built here to protect the dolmen by arching over the top.

Hypogee du Castelet

Trip No.205  Entry No.199  Date Added: 26th Nov 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Provence:Bouches-du-Rhône (13))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 1 Access 5

Log Text: Beside the road between Arles and Fontvieille, this hypogae has a little signpost, from where the monument can be found in the bushes and marsh to the side of the road. It's unbearably mosquito infested and I couldn’t get away quick enough.

There is a trench carved into the rock, which is now filled with boggy water, and there is a nice entrance ramp down at the west end. It is probably about 20 metres long, 2 metres deep and up to 2 metres wide, and covered with large slabs. Just inside the trench is a carved entrance stone. I cant stay here any longer, I have got to get away, as I am being bitten to death.

La Grotte des Fées de Cordes

Trip No.205  Entry No.200  Date Added: 29th Nov 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Provence:Bouches-du-Rhône (13))
Visited: Couldn't find on 22nd Sep 2005

Log Text: Also known as Le Palet De Roland, this monument is somewhere up on top of the Montagne des Cordes. The rock cut trench of this hypogae is the largest of the many around here, at 43 metres in length. Unfortunately, while I was looking, the entire hill seems to be very heavily fenced off, double fences and razor wire on top of one of them. They don't seem to want people here !

Hypogée de Bonnias

Trip No.205  Entry No.202  Date Added: 29th Nov 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Provence:Bouches-du-Rhône (13))
Visited: Couldn't find on 22nd Sep 2005

Log Text: I could find no way to this hypogae, as everywhere has lots of big high security fences.

Dolmen de la Mérindole

Trip No.205  Entry No.203  Date Added: 29th Nov 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Provence:Bouches-du-Rhône (13))
Visited: Couldn't find on 22nd Sep 2005

Log Text: I could not find this dolmen or hypogae, there are lots of private property signs all around, although not the big fences this time.

Mas Cadenet dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.204  Date Added: 29th Nov 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Provence:Bouches-du-Rhône (13))
Visited: Couldn't find on 22nd Sep 2005

Log Text: I could not find this dolmen or hypogae, there are lots of private property signs all around, although not the big fences this time.

Barbegal Mill and Aquaduct

Trip No.205  Entry No.205  Date Added: 29th Nov 2020
Site Type: Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry Country: France (Provence:Bouches-du-Rhône (13))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Sep 2005. My rating: Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: I found no dolmens, but did find some intriguing Roman remains. A double aquaduct leads south from the hills over the road and fields to another smaller rocky ridge which water channels are cut through to a big drop at the far side. I had no idea what this was until I found out much later that it was the Barbegal Mill complex, a massive flour mill from Roman times with a total of 16 waterwheels. I wish I had known at the time, but it was truly fascinating.

Les Baux

Trip No.205  Entry No.206  Date Added: 29th Nov 2020
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement Country: France (Provence:Bouches-du-Rhône (13))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Sep 2005

Log Text: Beautiful and intriguing old village clinging onto the sides of a steep and craggy limestone ridge, riddled with caves and quarries, and with a castle on top.

Glanum

Trip No.205  Entry No.207  Date Added: 29th Nov 2020
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement Country: France (Provence:Bouches-du-Rhône (13))
Visited: Yes on 22nd Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Just outside St Remy-de-Provence is this ancient city, only discovered last century, and with ongoing excavations. The Roman city was built on top of a previous Hellenic (Greek) city dating from before 300BC, which in turn was built on an old Gallic living place and Oppidum. All the focus seemed to be on the water spring, and there are lots of temples around it. A very interesting place to have a look around.

Dolmen dit Pierre-Soupèze

Trip No.205  Entry No.18  Date Added: 14th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 31st Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 2

Log Text: To the southeast of Montmorillon, this dolmen is within a ploughed field, which is very well fenced to keep people out. From the edge of the farm lane you can see a few stones under some bushes, with a large capstone at an angle on top of a couple of supports. From certain angles daylight can be seen beneath it. It is possible that there are two dolmen capstones here, or else there are many other large stones dumped here for field clearance.

Marchain Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.20  Date Added: 14th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 31st Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 2

Log Text: To the west of the village of Lathus-Saint-Rémy, in the fields near to the hamlet of Marchain, can be found this dolmen. It can be seen across the fields by the crossroads to the south of the hamlet, but I could find no obvious way to get to the dolmen, all the fields being fenced off. It looks to be a fairly simple little dolmen, with a capstone set on top of a few support stones.

Dolmen de la Bastière 2

Trip No.205  Entry No.17  Date Added: 14th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 31st Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Marked on my ign 1:100,000 map is a dolmen in the field to the south of the road between Lussac and Montmorillon. I had a good look around, but could find no obvious dolmen to which it referred. However the fields round here have several mounds and piles of stones, which are perhaps the remains of half a dozen dolmens or burial mounds, some of which have since been used to pile up other stones for field clearance purposes, some of which have been ploughed out. Without any more details, I find it hard to know just what is the historical monument dolmen. Perhaps its none of these mounds I saw, and is hiding in a hedge or the very thick woodland nearby.

On seeing a more detailed map later in the day, the dolmen is probably a bit further from the road, into the woodland at the far side of the field, to where I had walked. Damn.

Dolmen de la Bastière 1

Trip No.205  Entry No.16  Date Added: 14th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 31st Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Marked on my ign 1:100,000 map is a dolmen in the field to the south of the road between Lussac and Montmorillon. I had a good look around, but could find no obvious dolmen to which it referred. However the fields round here have several mounds and piles of stones, which are perhaps the remains of half a dozen dolmens or burial mounds, some of which have since been used to pile up other stones for field clearance purposes, some of which have been ploughed out.

Without any more details, I find it hard to know just what is the historical monument dolmen. Perhaps its none of these mounds I saw, and is hiding in a hedge or the very thick woodland nearby. On seeing a more detailed map later in the day, the dolmen is probably a bit further from the road, into the woodland at the far side of the field, to where I had walked. Damn.

Dolmen de Loubressac

Trip No.205  Entry No.15  Date Added: 14th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 31st Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Beside the river Goberté to the west of Lussac-les-Chateaux, at the hamlet of Loubressac, the little road curves around the remains of this dolmen. It is now sitting right beside the road at the edge of a pond. The capstone, which once would have measured 5 metres by 4 metres, has now broken and collapsed into the chamber. About 8 or 10 support stones remain, many of which have fallen. The entrance is to the east. Most of the stones are of the local white limestone, with holes and depressions everywhere, but the large support stone at the back of the chamber is a dark granite rock.

Unfortunately there is a telephone inspection cover right beside the dolmen which detracts. While here there was a helicopter flying very low overhead, perhaps checking on the overhead power lines.

Verrières Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.13  Date Added: 13th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Yes on 30th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Just outside the village of Verrières, to the south by the road to Lussac-les-Chateaux, are the remains of this dolmen, which can be found round the back of some houses at the top of the valley. Its not much more than a large slab of rock sitting on the ground these days, which is the capstone which measures 4 metres by 3 metres, with a few bits of crumbled rock underneath. There are no signs of any obvious support stones.

When I got back to my van after visiting this, the antitheft electronics would not turn off, and so nothing would start. I checked to see if anything obvious was loose, but could find nothing. I checked the other keys and that didn't help. I asked a passing man in a pickup truck if he could help, and he got a bloke from a garage out to help me. He had a look, but couldn't really do anything till tomorrow, when he could get the van to the garage with the necessary electronics gear. We pushed the van down into a little side lane where I could stay overnight, and he promised that he or someone else from the garage who could speak some English would be back in the morning about 8:30. This is just what I always dreaded would happen.

Verrières tumulus

Trip No.205  Entry No.14  Date Added: 13th Oct 2020
Site Type: Chambered Cairn Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 30th Aug 2005

Log Text: On the village map, about half a kilometre to the southeast of the dolmen, and to the northeast of the road to Lussac-les-Chateaux. I had a walk towards this after getting the van partly sorted, but couldn’t find anything definite. There was however, a mound in a field which has growth on it, which was in the right sort of place. Pity I couldn't get to it and have a proper look, and by now its started to get dark.

Pierre Brune Dolmen

Trip No.205  Entry No.19  Date Added: 14th Oct 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Poitou:Vienne (86))
Visited: Couldn't find on 31st Aug 2005

Log Text: A bit further to the south of Pierre-Soupèze along the same little farm road is a farm called Pierre Brune. There are no obvious signs of any dolmen, but there are lumps and bumps in the fields, and piles of stones in the fields.

Menhir dit Pierre Saint-Julien

Trip No.205  Entry No.4  Date Added: 13th Oct 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Sarthe (72))
Visited: Yes on 29th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Pierre Saint Julien is a 3.5 metre tall menhir, stood outside the main entrance to St Julien Cathedral, Le Mans. It is a truly lovely stone, made from a very heavily stratified, and vividly coloured rock. From certain angles, and in the right light, it looks for all the world to be a man dressed in hooded cloak stood outside the entrance of this sacred place. I do not know where the stone originally came from.

Pierre Potelée

Trip No.205  Entry No.7  Date Added: 13th Oct 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Sarthe (72))
Visited: Yes on 29th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This stone is about half a kilometre east of the Mere et Fille stones in the forest and is also signposted. I parked in a parking area near to the signpost and walked for several kilometres before returning to my van having found nothing except for more signposts at the other end of the forest track pointing back from where I had come. As I got back to the van, I could see the stone, less than 100 metres from where I had parked, down a different track ! The stone is a slab on its end, between 2.5 and 3 metres tall, and 2 metres wide, with many holes on one side.

Pierres de Mère et Fille

Trip No.205  Entry No.6  Date Added: 13th Oct 2020
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: France (Pays de la Loire:Sarthe (72))
Visited: Yes on 29th Aug 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: The mother and daughter stones can be easily found in the forest to the northeast of La Fleche, and are signposted from nearby. Both are nicely shaped pointed slabs, and they are about 8 metres from each other in an east west direction. The mother stone is more than 4 metres tall, and is the western of the pair, The daughter is just over 2 metres tall, and at the east. It is stated on a nearby signpost that the stones are thought to represent the sun and moon, although the evidence for this is not stated.